Impact Assessment Form for functions/policies/services – low impact
A) Reuse and Recycling Sites
Priority Low
Head of Service: Cormac Stokes
B) Current or Proposed
C) Reuse and Recycling centres
Department and Division: E&R,
Officer completing assessment: Phiklip Warren
Date: 16 Jan 2011
Brief description of function/policy/service including aims and objectives: To provide Reuse and Recycling and Waste
disposal facilities to residents and customers within the London Borough of Merton.
“Waste Operations will deliver cost-effective and sustainable waste management services including refuse
collection, street cleaning, recycling, graffiti, civic amenity facilities and pest control services that are
responsive to the needs of it’s customers and meet legislative and regulatory requirements.”
Reviewed in light of contracting out the management of the CA site at Garth Road
Service Aims:

Deliver high quality services through both efficient effective management and by continuously reviewing and improving the
quality of our services, adopting the Councils principles of sustainable communities

To develop and work in partnerships that ensure reuse and recycling centre services are affordable and represent value
for money

To provide services that are reliable and readily accessible to all the Community

To operate in a responsible and sustainable manner, creating value for our stakeholders and delivering successful and
sustainable waste management solutions

Improve recycling facilities for residents and customers of Merton

To provide a disposal point for bulky items for residents (we also offer a bulky collection service to residents who do not
have a car or have larger items for disposal
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Service Objectives:

Be ambitious through investing in resources so that we build on opportunities proactively

Improve our customer information and improve feedback

To value our staff by ensuring good communication, support, training and development recognizing and celebrating
achievement

Develop electronic access

Encourage closer working with the waste management industry to secure expert advice and investment in the
infrastructure required to deliver sustainable waste management solutions

Provide a customer focussed approach to service design and improvement

Engage the community through effective consultation and customer feedback mechanisms

Improve levels of satisfaction with services provided
The Council is responsible for ensuring legislation is complied with. Therefore, please ensure that all questions are answered
even if a third party provides the service
Does a third party provide the function or service? No. If so who?…………………….
The word Service is used throughout the form as a generic term to include Function/ Policy or Service.
Please ensure you answer all questions relating to the current or proposed Function/Policy or Service identified at C)
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What are the general equality issues associated with the use of this type of policy or procedure? This can be based
on local or national research or consultation?
1
Could the policy/service affect people differently so
that some groups may not have equal and fair
access to services?
Yes.
New contract states that staff on sit must assist and advise
users.
The contract also requires the contractor to adhere to
Community Stakeholders Plan
2
Could the policy/service have a negative impact on
community cohesion or cause tensions in the
community for people of different backgrounds,
faith, race, culture or age?
Yes –
 Locations of sites. We have a site in Wimbledon and
Morden. No site in Mitcham. However there are more
Neighbourhood Recycling sites in Mitcham.

the ease of access to the recycling centres and civic
amenity sites.

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Non car owners – bring sites/bulky collection service
3
How does the service take into account what might
be different needs across different groups of
people?
Consider: age; disability; gender; race; sexuality;
socio-economic status; where service users live in
the borough.
4
Have you conducted consultations/satisfaction
surveys with service users?
If not, have you considered that there may be issues
about which you are not aware?
5
6
Have you analysed the result of these
consultations/surveys to identify any trends across
different groups of people?
If not, why was the consultation/survey undertaken?
If number of responses to consultation/survey has
been low, what steps have you taken to ensure a
reasonable sample size e.g. taking results over a
longer period or conducting surveys over the
telephone.
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
We provide assistance for those residents/customers
who are disabled or elderly and infirm

Diversity learning to frontline staff to increase/improve

That all Council communications are made available on
request, in the customer’s preferred format. All service
leaflets we produce on mass have the translation
trigger on them and are pictorial for those who have
reading or sight difficulties. Recycling from home
information is on cassette.
A long time ago
Engage more with our customers, monitoring the user surveys
undertaken on site
No. We need to do this on a regular basis.
N/A
7
How will you measure the success of any
improvements that are put into place?



Compare to future Surveys
Increase in recycling rates (increased home
composting)
Falling landfill rates
IMPROVEMENT PLAN SUMMARY
When formulating the improvement plan consider:
Might a more effective service/policy be delivered if a different approach is taken to: service delivery; training or supervision;
consultation; measuring the effectiveness of service delivery?
Issue arising from impact
assessment
Action Required To Resolve
Issue
Lead
Officer
Locations of Sites
Review
Cormac
Stokes
Communication
That councils provide
information in alternative
formats in accordance with the
provisions in their Equality
Schemes. That options are
considered to produce more
accessible information on
recycling for those with a
learning disability;
Look to produce on audio CD or
in Braille
Colin Bateman
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Timescale
Costs
Targets/
Pls
Frequency
of
monitorin
g
Engage more with our
customers.
Customer Surveys
Analyse results of surveys
Colin Bateman
Training & Development
Staff with customer interface to
receive diversity training to
enable them to provide
appropriate support to site users
Colin Bateman
EIAs
Undertake EIAs on all future
service changes
Colin Bateman
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